The invention is directed to a chip card having at least two coil arrangements for contact-free transmission of data and/or energy as well as, potentially, transmission of data and/or energy with contacts to a write/read device (terminal).
Contact-free chip cards are being increasingly used that exchange energy and data contact-free with their environment when they are located in an electromagnetic field that is generated by coils in a terminal. The distance between chip card and terminal can usually lie between a few millimeters (near range, close-coupled, described in ISO 10536) up to 15 centimeters (far range, remote-coupled, described in ISO 14443). Given these chip cards, there is the problem that, without being plugged into a terminal, they can be modified in their memory from a distance, unnoticed by the user.
DE 43 27 334 C1 has disclosed a chip card that can distinguish between near range and far range or, respectively, non-near range. A phase difference between two signals serves as distinguishing feature for near and far range, coils as described in ISO 10 536 being preferably suitable for the detection thereof. It is also possible to combine coil arrangements on the chip card, as described in ISO 14 443 and in ISO 10 536. Additionally, contacts can also be present on the chip cards. With these different communication elements (coils according to ISO 14 443, ISO 10 536 and contacts), chip cards can exchange data and energy with their environment in the greatest variety of ways. For security reasons, a distinction is made between the utilization of a chip card in the near range of a terminal, for example by insertion into a slot, from that in the far range. Data that, for example, represent amounts of money should only be capable of being loaded when the chip card is plugged into a slot of a terminal and is located within the protected terminal. It should be impossible, namely, for specific memory areas on the chip card or specific functions of the chip card to be activated from a distance unnoticed by the user. DE 43 27 334 A1 in fact discloses how a signal is generated that indicates the near range between chip card and terminal. However, nothing is stated about the interaction between the coils for the far range, the near range and the contacts.
In detail thereto, DE 43 27 334 A1 has disclosed a chip card for contactless data transfer with a terminal comprising a transmission element with contactless energy supply having at least two reception elements separated from one another for the reception of electromagnetic, optical or acoustic alternating fields. A first electronics E1 is provided on the chip card that edits the alternating field components received at the reception elements without interpretation of the intensities and outputs these to a second electronics E2 as signals. A phase shift in the signals that occurs between the received alternating field components is unambiguously imaged, whereby a signal having a specific level PHS is output at the signal output of the electronics E2 when the phase difference between the two signals exceeds a constant, preset value; otherwise, a signal having a different level PHS"" is output. In detail thereto, DE 43 27 334 A1 has disclosed a chip card for contactless data transfer with a terminal comprising a transmission element with contactless energy supply having at least two reception elements separated from one another for the reception of electromagnetic, optical or acoustic alternating fields. A first electronics E1 is provided on the chip card that edits the alternating field components received at the reception elements without interpretation of the intensities and outputs these to a second electronics E2 as signals. A phase shift in the signals that occurs between the received alternating field components is unambiguously imaged, whereby a signal having a specific level PHS is output at the signal output of the electronics E2 when the phase difference between the two signals exceeds a constant, preset value; otherwise, a signal having a different level PHS"" is output. The level PHS indicates that the reception elements are located in a spatial region neighboring the transmission elements, what is referred to as the stereo separation region, whereby the signal with the level PHS is used for activating specific functions of the chip card in the stereo separation region. In particular, the phase shift to be interpreted and, as a result thereof, the signal PHS can be made available by a plurality of alternating field sources at different locations in that these sources exhibit different phase positions compared to one another and these different alternating fields superimpose in the surrounding space and thereby cause different, resulting phase gradients dependent on location. In particular, the constant value is permanently set to such a quantity that no near end operation is possible outside the capture range of the terminal. How a signal that indicates the near range between chip. card and terminal is generated can thus in fact be derived from DE 43 27 334 A1. However, nothing is stated about the collaboration between the coils for the far range, the near range and the contacts. The level PHS indicates that the reception elements are located in a spatial region neighboring the transmission elements, what is referred to as the stereo separation region, whereby the signal with the level PHS is used for. activating specific functions of the chip card in the stereo separation region. In particular, the phase shift to be interpreted and, as a result thereof, the signal PHS can be made available by a plurality of alternating field sources at different locations in that these sources exhibit different phase positions compared to one another and these different alternating fields superimpose in the surrounding space and thereby cause different, resulting phase gradients dependent on location. In particular, the constant value is permanently set to such a quantity that no near end operation is possible outside the capture range of the terminal. How a signal that indicates the near range between chip card and terminal is generated can thus in fact be derived from DE 43 27 334 A1. However, nothing is stated about the collaboration between the coils for the far range, the near range and the contacts.
DE 39 35 364, further, has disclosed a chip card that automatically distinguishes in a chip between the functions of contact operation and contact-free operation. Here, too, no distinction is made between various function levels that are characterized by different ranges.
In conformity with the aforementioned preamble of the invention, DE 195 09 517 C1 has disclosed an apparatus with a card terminal for transmission of energy and data to chip cards via electromagnetic waves, whereby the electromagnetic waves sent from the various card terminals differ in terms of one or more physical features such as amplitude, frequency, phase, energy density, spatial direction, electrical or magnetic field components. For receiving the electromagnetic waves, the chip card contains an electronic circuit that interprets the waves according to their physical features and activates different function parts of the circuit according to the result and, accordingly, the energy and data exchange ensues according to the specific functions of the respectively activated function parts of the circuit.
DE 42 05 827 A1 has disclosed a chip card for contact-free, bidirectional transmission of energy and data with a terminal that comprises a microprocessor and a memory as well as a coil for the near range, an electromagnetic resonator for the far range as well as an energy store and a manually actuatable switch.
Upon actuation of the switch, an encoded, remotely acting electromagnetic alternating field of the resonant circuit is initiated for data transmission from or into the memory.
The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a chip card of said species that controls different functionings of the chip or parts thereof dependent on the indication of near range and/or far range upon utilization of the stereo effect.
The inventive solution of the object is characterized by a chip card having at least two coil arrangements for contact-free transmission of data and/or energy as well as, potentially, transmission of data and/or energy with contacts to a write/read device (terminal), whereby one or more of the coils of the first coil arrangement are coils for the near range (near range or stereo coils) and one or more of the coils of the second coil arrangement are coils for the far range (far range coils), with an electronics that is connected to the coil arrangements and, potentially, to the contacts and that is suitable for distinguishing between the different coil arrangements according to different physical features such as phase and/or frequency and/or amplitude and/or energy differences, whereby a) a stereo signal (S1) is generated in a first part of the electronics, this stereo signal (S1) assuming a first characteristic value (A1) when the far range and the near range coil (s) are simultaneously located in an electromagnetic alternating field and the energy feed via the far range coil (s) suffices in order to activate the electronics or at least the first part; b) whereby differences in the electromagnetic alternating field between the far range and the near range coil (s) in the form of phase and/or frequency and/or amplitude and/or energy differences are utilized in order to generate a second characteristic value (A2) of the stereo signal (S1); c) when the differences in the electromagnetic alternating field between the far range and the near range coil (s) disappear, the stereo signal (S1) fails to arrive as a result thereof or assumes a further, third characteristic value (A3) and, in both instances, the chip card remains useable with its environment with unlimited functions as long as the energy that is beamed in from the far range coil (s) allows this; d) by contrast whereto, given presence of the stereo signal (S1) with the second characteristic value (A2), the chip card can be employed with additional functions beyond the limited function.
It is advantageously possible as a result of the invention to control the function of a chip card dependent on the indication of near range and/or far range and to thereby utilize the stereo effect or, respectively, a stereo signal created as a result thereof. It is thus possible to activate different security levels given access to memories or memory parts dependent on the function near range or far range.
In a further development given presence of the stereo signal (S1) with the first value (A2) an adequate energy feed via the near range coil (s), the first part of the electronics or, respectively, of the chips has dominance over all other parts or, respectively, electronic parts, so that it is capable of optionally switching the other parts or, respectively, electronics on or off and/or is capable of activating or deactivating specific functions in the other parts or, respectively, electronics parts.
Given a chip card with contacts, a communication via the contacts is interrupted and/or is controlled dependent on the corresponding stereo signal (S1) given the presence of the stereo signal (S1) with the first or second or third value (A1, A2, A3).
A further, second electronics part is directly connected to the near range coil or coils, this making the signals arriving via the near range coil or coils available to the electronics and/or to the first part thereof in a form comparable to the signals upon reception via the contacts, for example rectification, so that the further, second electronic part implements functions like those that can be implemented given reception of the signals via the contacts.
Advantageously, at least one further, third electronics part is present that, given the presence of one of the different values (A1, A2, A3) or given absence of the stereo signal (S1), outputs an optical or acoustic signal that can be perceived by a human, a user of the chip card being thus in the position to distinguish between different functionings.
In addition, at least some of the far range coil or coils and/or of the near range coil or coils can be implemented as capacitors that likewise serve the purpose of transmitting data and/or energy. Given a chip card with contacts, only near range coil or coils and/or capacitors can thereby be present, whereby the stereo signal (S1) assumes different values (A1, A2, . . . , An) that respectively serve for the control of the functions of electronics of the chip card.
Advantageously, energy and data via the far range coil or coils and/or the near range coil or coils and/or data and energy via the contacts are exchanged in alternation, whereby the data entering from the contacts are output via the coils and the data input via coils are output via the contacts.
Given employment of different frequencies as a physical distinguishing feature, a different frequency is advantageously coupled into the near range coil or coils 2 than into the far range coil or coils 3, in that the localized coil of the terminal neighboring the near range coil or coils 2 oscillates with a different frequency than that coil of the terminal that is coupled to the far A range coil or coils 3 of the chip card.